GMC’s new electric Hummer SUV, as well as being a battery-powered beast in size and speed, can rotate all four of its wheels to scuttle out of tight spots like a crab.
The technology comes as part of the auto manufacturer's CrabWalk system, first introduced last year with its upcoming EV Pickup, and we now know the feature will be available in the four-wheel drive variants of both vehicles.
GMC says its CrabWalk wheel system – allowing all four wheels to turn diagonally up to 10 degrees at low speeds – will compliment Extract Mode, which uses air suspension to lift the entire vehicle six inches off the ground to get over large obstacles.
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The recent unveiling of the GMC Hummer EV SUV also revealed a host of useful tech to help conquer the unique challenges posed by off-road driving.
The fully electric car – although some may say it's closer to a tank – will come with the option of up to 17 different assistive cameras, positioned in all sorts of weird and wonderful places.
As well as those you'd expect to find at the rear and front of the vehicle, the Hummer EV SUV will feature sensors on its underside and wheel hubs for improved understanding of the driver's surroundings.
These cameras will also come equipped with their own automatic washers, too, as their locations mean they'll likely get dirty, quickly – no one wants to be crawling under their Hummer to wash them, do they?
Both the SUV and Pickup variants will pack with the same 13.4-inch touchscreen display as part of their respective center consoles, as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.
Those with the myGMC app – which can also act as a key fob, incidentally – will be able to project satellite-rendered trail mapping onto these displays, offering a more detailed look at the road ahead (and behind).
GMC says its satellite system will also be capable of telling the driver how much energy a given trail will demand, too.
Awaken the sleeping giant
The launch of the Hummer EV SUV and EV Pickup – both scheduled to enter production in early 2023 – marks the revival of a brand which was retired by GM (the parent company of GMC) in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
In 2020, GM announced a $27 billion project to enter the EV market, which includes plans to release 30 new vehicles over the next four years.
The new Hummer EVs won't come cheap, though. Then again, the all-electric versions of vehicles which became synonymous with excessive wealth were never going to be. The all-singing, all-dancing version of the Hummer EV SUV is set to launch at $110,595 (around £80,000 / AU$145,000).
Despite its eye-watering price tag, GM says reservations for the car are already full. To cope with demand, the company plans to launch cheaper variants of the Hummer EV SUV in 2024.
A lot of people must really want to drive like a crab.
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Via Inside EVs
